Snake-bite kit with suction cup having variable degrees of suction

ABSTRACT

A snake-bite kit providing greater variation in the degree of suction available for removing venom from a snake bite. A pair of telescopically disposed compressible resilient tubular members with opposite closed ends contains the remainder of the kit. Both of these members have a flattened oval-cross section, and they are relatively small, so that the assembly is easily carried in the pocket. Their flat long front and rear walls are joined by short arcuate side walls; the distance along the major axis enables the spanning of fang marks of a larger snake. Pressure applied along the short axis produces a gentler suction than does pressure applied along the long axis. Pressure may be applied along the short axis by a person with weaker fingers than can apply operative pressure to a bulb having a circular annular cross section.

. United States Patent Cutter I SNAKE-BITE KIT WITH SUCTIONCUP HAVING VARIABLE DEGREES OF SUCTION [72] Inventor: Robert K. Cutter, Berkely, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Cutter Laboratories, Inc., Berkeley,

Calif.

[22] Filed: Nov. 4, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 86,854

[15] 3,683,922 [4511 Aug. 15,1972

Primary Examiner-Charles F. Rosenbaum Attorney-Owen, Wickersham and Erickson and Bertram Bradley ABSTRACT A snake-bite kit providing greater variation in the degree of suction available for removing venom from a snake bite. A pair of telescopically disposed compressible resilient tubular members with opposite closed ends contains the remainder of the kit. Both of these members have a flattened oval-cross section, and they are relatively small, so that the assembly is easily carried in the pocket. Their flat long front and rear walls are joined by short arcu'ate side walls; the distance along the major axis enables the spanning of fang marks of a larger snake. Pressure applied along 7 the short axis produces a gentler suction than does pressure applied along the long axis. Pressure may be applied along the short axis by a person with weaker fingers than can apply operative pressure to a bulb having a circular annular cross section.

9 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures Patented Aug. 15, 1972 3,683,922

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 5

23 ENTOR.

21 24 BY ROBERT CUTTER 6 0w, [MM Ari/Ml,

AT IOHI H" YT],

Patented Aug. 15, 1972 3,683,922

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FIG.13 ROBERT K. CUTTER 0w, l/Magm w ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 15, 1972 3,683,922

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG/I4 H616 FIG417 INVENTOR. ROBERT K, CUTTER ATTORNEYS BY wmCl/M 5,41%

SNAKE-BITE KIT WITH SUCTION CUP HAVING VARIABLE DEGREES OF SUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION s. Pat. No. 2,447,844; however, this kit had several disl0 advantages which are overcome by the present invention. Persons with weak fingers, such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, who frequently carry such a kit, have found it difficult to compress the bulb sufficiently to obtain adequate suction. When the described bulb is pressed on the front and rear walls, good suction may be accomplished by persons with weak fingers.

Another disadvantage with the suction kits heretofore in use has beentheir inability to provide much variation in the degree of suction. Thus, a cylindrical suction bulb draws the same amount of suction pressure no matter in which direction it is squeezed. This pressure may be too small in some instances or too large in others, and there is no way of varying it, except by the degree of squeeze, which gives only limited and unpredictable variation.

Also, the round cylindrical cups previously available have often been too narrow in diameter to enclose both fang marks of the bite of a large snake, and to make the cups of greater diameter would mean that the kit would be even more likely to be left at home.

Another advantage has been that because greater suction may be produced by compressing the bulbs across their long axis, it has been possible to shorten the bulb and to make the short axis of the bulb less than the diameter of the previous cylindrical bulb.

Thus, the kit is smaller in two dimensions and this is extremely important. Many people abhor carrying large objects in their pockets. The smaller a pocket object can be made the more likely it is to be carried. Unless a snake-bite kit is immediately available, its usefulness is greatly diminished. For example, a study made by the Naval Medical Field Research Laboratory at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina found that 22 percent to 44 percent of the venom injected could be removed from dogs by suction if application began within three minutes. However, suction after a 30 minute delay resulted in insignificant venom recovery.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a snake-bite kit which is smaller and more convenient to carry than those heretofore in use and which, moreover, is flat, so that it is easier to carry in a pocket and consumes less space than a cylindrical kit. The kit of this invention may be only about 2 to 2%: inches long, depending on the number of suction cups included, and only about I to 1-% inch in diameter in the widest direction, being only about inch wide in the narrow direction. The suction cups, which both contain the remainder .of the kit and are themselves operative parts, are made telescopically, so that one fits inside another, and each one of them has two long flat front and rear walls closed by arcuate side walls. As a result, the suction implement is wider in one direction than in the other; in its long direction it can span both fang marks of a pair without taking up the pocket space that would be needed if it were cylindrical. Also, the suction pressure achieved by pressing on the front and rear walls is more gentle than the suction achieved by pressing on the side walls; as a result a difference in suction pressure is obtained that enables one to apply different degrees of suction to babies and children than to grown men, and to apply more suction at the fang marks themselves than in locations where there are only swellings. Furthermore, a truly flat sided item is more comfortable in the pocket, is exemplified by the emphasis placed on flat pocket knives the most common pocket item.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of-a snake-bite kit embodying the principles of the invention, and including two telescoping suction cups as containers for the remainder of the kit.

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation and partly broken away of a modified form of snake-bite kit also embodying the principles of the invention, having two large suction cups enclosing one smaller one.

FIG. 3 is a view in front elevation of one ofthe larger suction cups of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation of the suction cup of FIG. 3, as viewed along the arrows 4-4 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top end view of the suction cup of FIGS. 3 and 4, as viewed along the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 3.

, FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the same suction cup, as viewed along the arrows 6--6 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a view in front elevation of the smaller suction cup of FIG. 1, a portion being broken away and shown in section.

FIG. 8 is a view in side elevation of the same.

FIG. 9 is a viewof the cup of FIG. 7, looking along the line 9-9.

FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the suction cup of FIG. 3 pressed on the front-and rear walls.

FIG. 11 is a similar view with the cup pressed on the side walls.

FIG. 12 is a view of the suction cup of FIG. 3' in use, spanning two fang marks.

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of a modified form of suction cup having an exterior shape like that of FIG. 6 but a circular interior, so that the walls vary in thickness.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of another modified form of suction cup each variable thickness of walls, this one being exteriorly circular and oblong interiorly.

FIG. 15 is a view in side elevation of another modified form of device having two suction cups each with the open end extending at an angle.

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 6 of another modified form of suction cups, this one being generally rectangular in shape.

FIG. 17 is another view similar to FIG. 6 of still another modified form of suction cup, having a diamondshape.

FIG. 18 is still another view similar to FIG. 6 of a further modified form of suction cup having an oval shape.

FIG. 19 is a view in front elevation of another form of suction cup; and

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the suction cup of FIG. 19.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a snake-bite kit embodying the principles of the present invention, comprising two telescoped suction cup members 11 and 12 which contain the remainder of the kit. The larger member 11 receives and holds telescopically the smaller member 12 and they fit snugly together.

A modified form of kit 13, shown in FIG. 2, employs two of the larger suction cups 11 and 14 both mounted on and enclosing the smaller cup 12; the cups 11, 12 and 14, when so joined, make a very good watertight protection for the material in the cup 12.

The additional material of the snake-bite kit, which may be substantially the same as that described in U. S.- Pat. No. 2,447,844, except perhaps for size and recent improvements in individual portions, is contained in the smaller cup 12 and is not shown here, since the invention is related particularly to the changes in the suction cups themselves.

FIGS. 3 through 6 and 10 through 12 show the larger suction cup 11, which is identical with the cup 14. The suction cups 11 and 14 are made from suitable elastic material such as a synthetic or natural rubber, and they may be transparent if that is desired, being made from one of the transparent synthetic materials, or they may be opaque. The cup 11 may be approximately as long as it is wide with a rounded closed end 15, and its open end 16 is cut straight in this instance, especially when used in the kit 13 shown in FIG. 2, where they abut each other. The outside surface of the cup 11 is preferably provided with a roughened finish 17 resembling knurls, at least on the front, rear and side walls, so that a user can hold it easily without slipping and also to keep it from falling out of a pocket unawares. The open end 16 is bounded by two flat front and rear walls 20 and 21, and these walls are joined by arcuate side walls 22 and 23, each of which maybe a semicircle giving a generally oval shape to the cup 11, and it has a long oval cup 24. This larger cup 11 is used for suction on parts of the body such as the calf of the leg or the arm where a relatively smooth and wide surface is available.

- The smaller suction cup 12 (FIGS. 7 to 9) may be of the same general shape as the cup 1 1, having a rounded closed end 25 and having two flat walls 26 and 27 joined by ar'cuate end walls 28 and 29, which again may be semicircular. The open end 30, however, may be somewhat different, preferably being somewhat convex in shape along identical curves 31 and 32, with dips 33 and 34 and the short ends, so that it may conform more readily to small anatomical sections of the body, such as a finger. Also, it is preferable for the opening end to be beveled along a slope 35 to give a narrow lip portion 36, while the main walls of course are preferably thicker and wider.

One advantage of the oval openings 16 and 30 in the suction cups 11 and 12, is that one oval opening can cover two fang marks 37 and 38 (see FIG. 12) further apart than can a circular opening of the same perimeter. This enables one cup to be used to draw venom from two fang marks simultaneously. Yet this important advantage is obtained while still reducing the general size of the kit.

Another important advantage of the oval shape is that when the bulb 11 or 12 is pressed on the front and rear walls 20, 21 (FIGS. 10 and 12) or 26, 27, the suction is much gentler than when it is pressed on the side walls 22, 23 (FIG. 11) or 28, 29. When pressed on the side walls, the suction is quite-strong. This ability to vary the degree of suction in such a simple manner answers the needs of those physicians who wish to treat snake bites with more gentle suction than do others, and also it enables one to accommodate the difference in softness of skin, so that when more gentle suction is desirable, as when treating snake bite in an infant or young child, such gentle suction is available, whereas with the very tough skin of an outdoor man, the same kit has an ability to apply stronger suction.

On first thought, it might seem to one that if one forced out all of the air and applied the bulb to the skin, that the degree of suction would be the same whether the air was removed by compressing the front and rear walls together or by compressing the side walls together. However, this is not the case. vThe reasonis that when the bulb is compressed by'pressing on the side walls, the spring action of the bulb is far greater than when the bulb is compressed by pressing on the front and rear walls. Thus, it is like a syringe plunger which has a weak spring as compared with a syringe plunger having a very strong spring. This contrasts with the prior art structure with a circular mouth in which the suction is varied only by the amount of air which is forced out. Thus, a bulb having a circular mouth is at best only a compromise. lf designed to give maximum suction it may be too difficult to be well compressed by one with weak fingers. If it is designed to -be compressed by one with weak fingers, it may not develop adequate suction for some instances. This becomes important, since many of the snake-bite kits are used by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Thus, with a patient such as an infant with very soft skin, a gentle suction is easily obtained by pressing the front and rear walls in toward each other, while the tough hard skin of a man who has worked out doors all his life requires the stronger suction obtained by pressing the side walls together, even to get the bulbs to adhere to his skin. At the same time, the physicians with different ideas as to what constitutes adequacy of suction for a particular patient are able to use these bulbs also, so that thosewho may wish to use the gentlest possible suction and those who like exceptionally strong suction are both able to use the same kit. It is also feasible for the suction device, when applied over the incisions at the fang marks, to be used with stronger suction, as is generally the case, than when applied over multiple secondary incisions made as swelling advances. All this cooperates with the basic idea of having a suction kit that is small and flat and easy to carry in the pocket.

Modified forms of the invention are shown in FIGS. 13 to 20. These have some but not all of the advantages of the preferred forms.

FIG. 13 shows a suction cup 40 having an oblong exterior surface 41 like that of the suction cup 1 l but having a circular bore or interior surface 42, so that the elastomeric wall 43 varies in thickness, having a thin portion 44 and a thick portion 45. Here, again, the thin portion is easy to press and the thick portion harder to press but able to give more suction.

A similar effect is obtained from the suction cup 50 of FIG. 14, which has a circular outer surface 51 and an oblong interior surface 52. Here, a variable thickness wall 53 is provided, but it is thinner at the end portion 54 and thicker at 55 along the flat portion of the surface 52.

The ends of the suction cups may be inclined at an angle, as shown in FIG. where a kit 60 is shown with two identical suction cups 61 and 62 generally like the cups 11 and 14 are shown. However the mouths 63 and 64 are inclined to the longitudinal axis 65, rather than perpendicular to it, so that a variable suction effect is obtained in a different way.

FIG. 16 shows a generally rectangular suction cup 70 with constant thickness walls 71 having long portions 72, 73joined by short portions 74, 75. The operation is much like that of the suction cup 11.

FIG. 17 shows a diamond-shaped suctioncup 80 that can be pressed on the opposite vertices 81, 82 or on the opposite vertices 83, 84, the latter pair lying farther apart and requiring more pressure and giving more suction.

FIG. 18 shows a truly oval suction cup 90, with operation basically like that of the cup 1 1.

FIG. 19 shows a suction cup 92 having a circular mouth 93 and an oval or oblong bulb portion 94 that gives variable suction at the mouth 93, according to the way the fingers are placed and pressed on the bulb 94.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves wit the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. An elastomeric tubular member for removing harmful fluids from a living body, said member being open at one end and closed at the other and having means providing different compression points between its ends at different rotational positions relative to a transverse section, which provide different degrees of suction at said open end when said member is manually squeezed.

2. A compressible resilient bulb for removal of venom from a snake bite said bulb having an open end and one transverse axis significantly greater than another transverse axis to provide a different degree of suction when said bulb is squeezed along said one axis than when squeezed along said other axis.

3. A compressible, resilient bulb for removal of venom from a snake bite said bulb having, in transverse cross-section in at least one area, one axis greater than another and having an open end applicable to the skin area around a said snake bite.

4. An elastomeric tube for use in extracting poison from a living body, said tube being open at one end and closed at the other and having in transverse cross-section a wall thickness that is greater across one transverse axis than across an axis perpendicular thereto to cause different axes of transverse compression to vary the degree of suction.

5. A variable-suction generating device for venom removal consisting of an elastomeric tubular member open at one end and closed at the other, said open end having a long axis and a short axis at points normal to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, said long axis being significantly longer than said short axis.

A compressible and resilient tubular receptacle closed at one end and able to serve as a suction device for the removal of venom from a snake bite, characterized by an oval shape in which the suction member has front and rear walls that'are relatively flat and side walls that are relatively round, whereby an increase in suction pressure is obtained by pressing the side walls together as distinguished from pressing the front and rear walls together and also a greater distance is covered with the device in one axis than in another.

7. In a snake-bite kit, a pair of telescopically disposed compressible resilient tubular members having opposed closed ends and forming a container for accommodating the accessory equipment for the snake-bite kit, each said tubular member forming a suction device for the removal of venom from a snake bite or incision,

characterized by both of said resilient tubular members having a flattened cross section with two opposite long flat front and rear walls joined by two short arcuate side walls,

whereby, pressure exerted on the two flat walls produces relatively gentle suction and pressure exerted on the arcuate walls produces stronger suction, and

whereby in its long dimension each tubular member covers a greater distance, as that between two fangs.

8. The snake-bite kit of claim 7, wherein the smaller tubular member has a convex open mouth along the front and rear walls, said walls being beveled toward the inner surface adjacent the mouth 9. The snake-bite kit of claim 7 wherein the open end is at least twice as wide in one direction as in the other. 

1. An elastomeric tubular member for removing harmful fluids from a living body, said member being open at one end and closed at the other and having means providing different compression points between its ends at different rotational positions relative to a transverse section, which provide different degrees of suction at said open end when said member is manually squeezed.
 2. A compressible resilient bulb for removal of venom from a snake bite said bulb having an open end and one transverse axis significantly greater than another transverse axis to provide a different degree of suction when said bulb is squeezed along said one axis than when squeezed along said other axis.
 3. A compressible, resilient bulb for removal of venom from a snake bite said bulb having, in transverse cross-section in at least one area, one axis greater than another and having an open end applicable to the skin area around a said snake bite.
 4. An elastomeric tube for use in extracting poison from a living body, said tube being open at one end and closed at the other and having in transverse cross-section a wall thickness that is greater across one transverse axis than across an axis perpendicular thereto to cause different axes of transverse compression to vary the degree of suction.
 5. A variable-suction generating device for venom removal consisting of an elastomeric tubular member open at one end and closed at the other, said open end having a long axis and a short axis at points normal to the longitudinal axis of said tubular member, said long axis being significantly longer than said short axis.
 6. A compressible and resilient tubular receptacle closed at one end and able to serve as a suction device for the removal of venom from a snake bite, characterized by an oval shape in which the suction member has front and rear walls that are relatively flat and side walls that are relatively round, whereby an increase in suction pressure is obtained by pressing the side walls together as distinguished from pressing the front and rear walls together and also a greater distance is covered with the device in one axis than in another.
 7. In a snake-bite kit, a pair of telescopically disposed compressible resilient tubular members having opposed closed ends and forming a container for accommodating the accessory equipment for the snake-bite kit, each said tubular member forming a suction device for the removal of venom from a snake bite or incision, characterized by both of said resilient tubular members having a flattened cross section with two opposite long flat front and rear walls joined by two short arcuate side walls, whereby, pressure exerted on the two flat walls produces relatively gentle suction and pressure exerted on the arcuate walls produces stronger suction, and whereby in its long dimension each tubular member covers a greater distance, as that between two fangs.
 8. The snake-bite kit of claim 7, wherein the smaller tubular member has a convex open mouth along the front and rear walls, said walls being beveled toward the inner surface adjacent the mouth.
 9. The snake-bite kit of claim 7 wherein the open end is at least twice as wide in one direction as in the other. 